


Growing Pains.

by AlwaysInSonder



Series: Modern Furmily [3]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Comedy, Companion fic to Nick's Gift, Domestic Bliss, F/M, Family Drama, Married Life, Modern Fur-mily, Nick's Getting Too Old For This, Or Is It?, Raising Teenage Kits, references everywhere, wildehopps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-08-18 16:04:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8167828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlwaysInSonder/pseuds/AlwaysInSonder
Summary: “I’m not like a regular dad. I’m a cool dad.”or:Navigating the dating frontier can be tough as a teen; especially when your daddy’s Chief of Police.





	1. Chapter 1

“So Becky said that Aardvark Law was the best for their research on mammalian rights, but I _really_ like Zootopia State for their campus grounds…”

“Sweetheart, you don’t go Kanine West when you’ve got Gazelle. Why are you liking state? You are valedictorian.”

His daughter sighed dramatically and he chuckled while she launched into a speech arguing the benefits of a state education versus the university for the ‘prey-privileged, bourgeois upper-middle class’.

Nick chewed on the double-supreme Bugga Burger while his daughter chattered on about her college choices. He found his eyes gravitating towards the TV where an episode of Modern Furmily was on. A pair of gay hyenas were comically fighting with a lesbian wolf couple over which of their adopted panda cubs was better. It was not that he wasn’t interested in what his daughter had to say, but he knew nothing about college and knew his little kit would figure it out for herself most ways as she always did. He was and will always be proud of her either way.

He never thought he would be one of those fathers. The kind that waved pictures of their kits in front of other mammals’ snouts, bragging about their achievements. But he _knew_ his kits were special, so it was different. Thea said her first word – da; when she was only four months old. Robin was three years old when they adopted him and it took him awhile to warm up to his new family; but when he did, he was bribing the pre-schoolers with blueberries into completing his art projects for him. It almost brought a tear to his eye when the teacher had made the concerned phone call to report the issue.

He was so proud of them both.  From the moment of her birth, she was in his eyes, a prodigy.

“Dinner, round two!”

His wife calls from the front door, a few more bags of takeout in her paws. His son comes up behind her, carrying even more bags.

“Good Noah, son. You keep eating this much, you’re going to end up looking like a hippo.”

“Dad! That’s _offensive_.”

His son only shrugs and helps his mother unpack.

“Mammals’ gotta eat. Rick said we’re going to be up all night designing the rides for the park.”

Nick feels a light punch to his shoulder to his shoulder and his daughter looks up at him, her little nose twitching. He sighs and apologizes giving her a kiss to the forehead.

“Sorry Princess. I promised to respect other predators and work to undo our internalized speciesism.”

He catches his wife’s eyes at that and she turns away to hide her smile. His eyes start to drift down to the cute, fuzzy wuzzy tail of hers and suddenly he’s wondering if it would be too late to cart the kits off to their grandmothers’.

Judy hands him a box of critter crispies and cuddles up to his other side, leaning her head on his shoulder. His son flops down to the couch next to his sister and starts devouring the first stack of burgers in one of his bags. He ignores her cries of disgust as a few fried bugs landed on her PJs.

“Ugh, _Robin_!”

“Bhat?”

His mouth was full of Bugga Burger as he spoke and several more half-chewed bugs landed on his sister.

“ _Mom_!”

“Robbie, keep your bugs away from your sister.”

Thea chooses then to launch into a speech on Robin then, going on to highlight the cruelties that went on in the bug farming industry.

“…and they pull their bodies off from their feelers! When they’re still _alive._ ”

“Oh, so _that’s_ why they’re so delicious.”

They chuckle as their kits continued to squabble. Nick nuzzles his wife’s cheek, accepting one of her lettuce wraps in his mouth.

“Long day in the office?”

“Ugh, you don’t know the half of it. Wait. Actually, you do. If I'd known you were under this much pressure as Chief, I would have cut you more slack.”

Judy brushes off crumbs from his uniform, loosens his tie for him and snuggles to his side. Nick discreetly wraps his arm around her hips, letting his paw rest over the fluffy cottontail.

“I’m all ears, hun.”

“And fluffy ass- ow!”

Judy elbows him hard in the ribs and he nearly chokes on a bug. He only smirks at her warning look and ignores their kits’ disgusted looks and barfing noises.

“Pa, seriously?”

“Dad, we can hear _everything_.”

* * *

 

“…and she was saying something about going to State. Didn’t she dream about Aardvark since she was like four?”

Nick lounges back against the headboard, watching Judy dress into her sleep clothes. He smiled as she pulled on the weathered police academy shirt of his – she’d always loved that.

Judy only smiled to herself and set his glasses on his bedside table, ignoring his reproachful look at her and his quiet mumble that he didn’t need them. The bed dips on one side as she wiggles underneath the sheets with her laptop, moving to make herself comfy on his lap. Nick surrounds his arms around her, squeezing her gently.

“Well, it might have something to do with the fact that a certain someone is in Zootopia State.”

Nick froze and felt a certain dread overcome him.

“…You’re not talking about Ju-Ju, right?”

He was referring to Judy’s goddaughter, Judy, who was also good friends with their daughter.

“Nick, Ju-Ju’s in UZ, not Z State. You just met her at her birthday dinner last week.”

His eyes narrow then and his chin rests on the top of her head as his wife typed away on her laptop a little too cheerfully. Both Judy and Thea had been acting off recently and he wasn’t having it. He didn’t become Chief from nothing.

“Darlin', is there a nice, young _buck_ I should know about?”

Judy’s typing halts for a moment and he groans.

“I should have seen this coming. Alright, who's the punk I’m going to have to pawcuff?”

Judy rolls her eyes and closes her laptop, setting it away.

“This is exactly why I wanted to wait for a bit before telling you.”

“Carrots, you can’t keep these things from me!”

“I’m not _keeping_ them from you! I’m just waiting for an appropriate time to tell you before you completely jeopardise our daughter’s social life!”

“Who says I _jeopardise_ it? I’m not like a regular dad. I’m a _cool_ dad.”

Judy turns around and gives him that **look**. That was when a certain memory of him nearly pointing a tranquilizer dart to a ten-year-old cub who’d given his daughter an innocent kiss to the cheek for her tenth birthday comes to mind. If it weren't for his wife, he would have scarred the child for life right there.

He clears his throat and straightens his back.

“I’ll have you know that I was acting on an uncontrollable, biological urge to protect my youngest kit.”

“Right.”

Judy straddles him then and gives him a massage to his shoulders, he relaxes back onto the headboard and sighs.

“He’s a nice enough boy…you like him, actually.”

“Wait, I know this brat? Who is it?”

Judy’s brows furrows and he just narrows his eyes.

“Don’t tell me it’s _Rick_. It’s bad enough he’s got our son, now you’re letting him take our daughter? That kid dropped out of college and rides around that joke of a motorcycle made out of stolen parts!”

“I’m surprised _you_ have a problem with that.”

Nick looks at his wife incredulously.

“He’s ten years older than her!”

“Holy carp, Nick. It’s not him. And aren’t you a cradle robber yourself?”

She giggles as he pulls a face at her and kisses his frowning snout.

“I’ll tell you, only if you promise you won’t freak out.”

He pinches the bridge of his snout and sighs.

“And I thought the new recruits were giving me a headache. Alright, let it rip.”

“…It’s Jimmy.”

Nick is deathly quiet for several moments and Judy slowly lowers her paws from his shoulders.

“…You don’t mean, James… _Savage_?”

“That’s the one.”

“Son of… Jack. Savage.”

Judy gives a curt nod.

He feels blood rush up to his head.

“THEADORA MARIAN! GET YOUR TAIL IN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT YOUNG LADY. “

“Oh sweet cheese and crackers…”

* * *

 

After a night of arguing and their daughter running off with tears and locking herself up in her room, Nick collapses back onto their bed groaning. Of all mammals in the whole of Zootopia, she had to pick the kit of the most conniving, debonair, wife-stealing son of a-

“Well, I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

Judy returns and with a noticeable wet patch on her shoulder. He sighs heavily and rubs his eyes tiredly.

“She can date whoever she damn well pleases when she isn’t living under this roof.”

“She’s moving out in a few months, genius.”

A look of annoyance crosses his features and he pounds his sore back. Judy only sighs and climbs onto their bed, going behind him to massage his shoulders.

“Jimmy’s a good boy. He’s really different from his father. You know that, Nick.”

“I haven’t seen him since Thea was still on training wheels!”

He closes his eyes and just focuses on his wife’s gentle paws working deftly on his shoulders, easing away the growing tension from them.

“She’s still too young.”

“She’s eighteen and he’s twenty. Noah knows she’s more mature than you when you were _thirty_.”

Nick rolled his eyes at that, but had to chuckle shortly after. It was true.

“But is she really letting go of Aardvark for that _hare_?”

“He’s actually a fox-hare hybrid himself, honey.”

Nick’s brows rose at that. It would explain why his strong, determined Thea was crying over him. They had a lot more in common than he thought.

“His mother died in action. They've always been very private and Jack never really talks much about her, so everyone assumes he just adopted him. And no, of course she isn’t going to give up on Aardvark! She was actually just trying to break the topic to you lightly. Z State is only an hour’s drive from Aardvark…”

“Long distance, really?”

“Well, he is graduating soon and he’s going to be enrolling in Aardvark Graduate School next fall.”

Nick groaned at that and tugged at his ears.

“That’s even _worse_! He’s practically an _adult_ going to graduate school when she’s only starting college!”

Judy collapsed down next to him and sighed heavily.

“Look, how about we invite him over to dinner? Then you can size him up for yourself.”

He wordlessly pulls his wife tight to his side and spoons her sullenly. For a few minutes, he just allows her sweet, musky scent calm him down while he rearranged his thoughts. His kit was really growing up. With Robin, he’d just shot up like a beansprout sapling out of the blue – towering over his entire family at nineteen. But his son didn’t change much – he was too much of a mama’s boy. He still liked to fall asleep on his mother's lap in the evenings and still cleaned off his grandmother’s baking sheets whenever they visited in the weekends.

But his daughter? She went from bringing him picture books to read to lugging home thick volumes of Zootopia Law, Mammalian Rights essays and debate team trophies. From sitting on his shoulders to being driven to doctor’s appointments by her.

Too many things were changing at once. He clutches his wife tighter and Judy, his ever perceptive wife, whispers.

“I miss working with you.”

“There’s always a spot for you, sweetheart.”

There’s a quiet begging in his voice and a hopeful look in his eyes. Judy just laughs softly and nips his neck, he groans and melts to her paws.

“I miss it, but ZEMA is in a mess. The ZPD already is doing a brilliant job, _Chief_.”

His paws cling to her hips and he gives her a look that would never leave their bedroom.

“Why is that word so sexy when it’s coming from you?”

* * *

 

The next morning, Nick wakes up to the scent of breakfast. He sighs contently and sits up in bed, smiling at the state of undress he was in. How many mammals can boast of an active feral life this long into their marriage?

Judy enters wearing only his shirt, carrying a tray of coffee, toast, bugs and a fruit salad. She climbs onto bed with him and snuggles to his side underneath the sheets.

“Code twelve-twenty-four?”

“Still with Rick.”

“Eight, two-nine?”

“Debate.”

“ _Yes_.”

A morning without kits and the house to themselves. It’s going to be a perfect weekend.

Judy nuzzles his shoulder and he sighs in satisfaction, taking a sip of his coffee and nearly spitting it out with how bitter it was.

“Dr. Fawn told me your blood glucose was hovering on the side of unhealthy. I’ve decided to put you under sugar arrest.”

He rolls his eyes at that.

“Leave the jokes to me, sweetheart. Now where’d you hide the sugar?”

“I’ll just give you all the sugar you need…”

On any other day of the week, Nick would have been more than happy to entertain his wife’s corny, forward approach.

“Wait a minute. You’re distracting me from something, aren’t you?”

“Hmm?”

Judy’s pushed the tray aside now and her paws wandered south.

“ _Sweetheart_ , give this old fox a break. I should have had a warning when I married a younger bunny. Now, will you tell me why you’re distracting me with sex?”

Judy huffs and her nose twitches in annoyance.

“Fine, _Slick_. I invited Jimmy over for dinner tonight.”

There goes a good weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was watching Modern Family and I couldn't help but wonder what their family dynamics will be like. Modern Family AU needed to happen, so there! Do tell me your thoughts/feelings/suggestions! ♥


	2. Chapter 2

“I…I was out of control growing up. I mean, _yeesh_. I don’t know how my parents handled me. I just don’t want my kits to go through the same things we did. As long as both of them don’t end up living in a box under a bridge, I know I’ve done my job.”

“ _Our_ job.” Judy interjected, giving a little pinch to his thigh.

“Right. Our jobs.”

The cheetah interviewer hid a smirk behind his camera and adjusted a few of the camera's settings.

“That’s great. Now, why don’t you tell us the adoption story for your son?”

“Oh. Well. Heh, why am _I_ doing all the talking. Honey?”

Judy squeezed his paw and he squeezed it gently while she retold the story of how they adopted their son. Truly, it was mere luck that they were handed a cub that nobody wanted. But Robin managing to assimilate into their family paved the way for other interspecies couples to adopt their own kits.

Nick, who’d spaced out for the moment, deliberated various methods of disposing a body without having any tracks leading back to him came to and glanced at his wife.

“So, yeah. It took Nick about four…five months to mark him. It was a difficult time for us both. But hey, it all worked out in the end.”

He turned to Judy and gave her a knowing, charming smirk.

“Just like being married to this _gorgeous_ bunny.”

Judy’s pinch grew to a stab and he chuckled.

“That’s a touching story. I'm sure you would have faced much…discrimination when seen in public? I would imagine as one of Zootopia’s pioneer interspecies families, specifically predator-prey, it would have to be unavoidable.”

Judy nodded and sighed heavily.

“In the beginning, it was very difficult. We almost got evicted out of our old apartment because the landlord somehow found out that I was getting treatments for an interspecies baby. Nick thought that it was time we got a family home of our own anyway, so I guess it wasn’t all bad.”

“Evicted? Oh my goodness. Surely that’s illegal?”

“At the time, there were no laws protecting interspecies families. But there weren’t explicit laws that discriminated against us either. We simply didn’t exist as far as mammalian family law went. The earliest cases of interspecies related court cases went back to the 1600s. Resolutions mostly ended with the family being told to relocate or even being thrown in jail for ‘public indecency’. After that, well, according to my daughter’s own research, most interspecies families went under the radar and chose to settle disputes against them by simply moving elsewhere for their own safety. This still happens today. I mean, now there's actual laws criminalizing discrimination against us, but who's to know if it's actually being enforced? We work for the ZPD, but we can't keep watch of everything all the time.”

“My, most mammals are unaware of how illustrious interspecies relations history really is.”

“It really is. Our love not a ‘fad’ or a ‘trend’. We are well past our primitive, savage ways. Why do we still insist on what is _natural_ when we have transcended it? Our most natural instinct is to love, and to be loved.”

Nick glanced over to his wife and felt his eyes soften as his eyes rested on the furrow between her brows. He squeezed her paw gently. It still left an ugly ache in his chest to see her hurt by something that should have been an old issue.

“Well, surely there were some uplifting moments through the hard times?”

“Why, of course. I remember one just about now.”

Judy gave him a panicked look and his smirk deepened. She knew exactly which instance he was about to recount. Perhaps embarrassment would be a better look on his wife than hurt.

* * *

 

_“Aw, what a lovely little fox. And such beautiful eyes!”_

_“Why, thank you.”_

_A tiny Robin burrowed himself deeper against his father’s signature Pawaiian shirt, hiding his adorable face from the gushing ticket steward. The panda handed him a little toy and gave a little high-five to the kit._

_“He must have got those eyes from his mother. She must be such a gorgeous vixen.”_

_Nick’s smirk widened then._

_“Gorgeous? Absolutely. But – “_

_“Excuse me! Oh, pardon me. Sorry, mommy duties. Haha!”_

_Judy brushed past and settled herself next to Nick, their hybrid infant in her arms. She smiled brightly around her._

_“So, what are we talking about?”_

_The panda’s eyes widened. He rested his eyes on the sleeping bunny-fox, the bunny and back to Nick. He gave a curt smile and walked away slowly. A few of the other passengers about them gave them strange looks. Judy’s nose twitched in annoyance and Nick rolled his eyes._

_“Okay, I’m going to give The Speech.”_

_“No, you are not. Carrots, it’s just a two-hour train ride. It’ll be over before you know it.”_

_“Ugh, fine.”_

_Judy handed Thea over to Nick while she settled herself down, readying the kit seat for both their kits. A panther couple walked past, one of them pointing excitedly in their general direction._

_“Aw, honey. Look at that kit and the tiny carrot!”_

_“Okay, that’s it.”_

_Nick rested a paw over his eyes; here she goes._

_“This ‘carrot’ was born and made out of love and if any of you have a problem with that, do tell it to my face. “_

_“Judy.”_

_“Here’s this. Love knows no species, genus or gender.”_

_“Judy!” Nick hissed and tried in vain to tug her back to her seat while juggling two sleepy kits._

_“And to all of you who judged us- “_

_“ **Judy**. Robin’s playing with the carrot pen.”_

_Judy blinked and looked over to her son, who indeed, was fiddling around with the nifty little contraption while sitting quietly on Nick's lap. He did look adorable as he always did. Thea was snuggled and hidden out of sight on the crook of her daddy’s arm._

_“…Oh. Heh. Well… Enjoy your train ride everybody!”_

_Nick sighed and stood up, addressing all the bewildered mammals around them with a tired, but charming smile._

_“We would like to pay for all of your headsets.”_

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you had to tell them about _that_ incident.”

“Consider it revenge for not telling me sooner about Thea _._ ”

“Revenge? But…I thought you _love_ me.”

Judy mock-pouted but deadpanned immediately after. She picked up a bag of bug chips and threw it into the cart in a flourish, sashaying away.

“Do I love you? Yes, yes I do. Do I love the way you go behind my back? No, not at all. You knew that I would never approve of the spawn of that _buck_.”

“Jack and I dated briefly Nick! It meant absolutely nothing. He was my first boyfriend. And…you know, that one time he asked me out for dinner when we broke up for a bit. That’s it. But he was a really nice guy. Very gentlemammal-ly. I don’t even have much emotional memories of him...”

“That’s not the point, Carrots. But good to know he was such a forgettable squeeze.”

“ _Nick_.”

“What? Anyway, what I’ve been getting at is… do you really want our daughter to date the son of a forgettable squeeze?”

Judy rolled her eyes and turned away from him.

“I’m not going to have this conversation right now. We only have a few hours before dinner.”

“Oh, goody.”

 “So…perhaps some spices – Thea did say he likes spicy food. Oh, and we probably should get some of that ice cream for Robin. He’s nearly as sensitive as you are…”

“I’m not _sensitive_. I just find it…offensive to my senses. Like your old _amour_.”

Judy pulled a look to his direction but resumed walking down the shop aisles; picking up the odd bottle or package, reading its label and throwing it into the cart that he was assigned to push.

It was a gloomy Saturday morning that oddly fitted Nick’s mood. They were doing their weekly grocery shopping – usually, Robin would follow suit to help but these days, he was working on the theme park Rick and himself had been planning so long for. They had managed to get an investment from Mr. Big – something that made Nick pretty agitated at first considering his own father’s demise from his involvement with the mafia. It was not like they had difficulties getting one from major banks; but seeing that the Bigs were family friends - and offered low interest, he supposed that he needn’t worry too much.

What he will worry about, though, was his daughter and that insufferable _boyfriend_ that was the spawn of the only mammal Nick had managed to despise for an extended period of time.

“And if you’re done sulking darling, could you go get the fish? Get a nice five pounder.”

“You’re really going all out, huh?”

Judy merely shrugged and cheerfully returned to her phone where she had her list stored. He looked longingly after the white tuft of fluff on his wife’s rear and sighed heavily. Can’t an old mammal catch a break with his spouse? He really had been looking forward to a quiet weekend alone with Judy. Perhaps even try to sneak in a little weekend getaway across the pond to Zootropolis. 

He glumly trudged over to the frozen foods section. A bored looking young red fox sat behind the glass cases of fish; most of his snout was hidden behind a glowing phone screen.

“Heya kid, can I get five pounds of that cut?”

“You got it, Chief.”

Nick looked up to see a smirking wolf that he immediately recognised. A pierced ear, mischievous grey eyes and a smirk that his younger self would have been offended by.

“…Rick? You work here?”

“On the side, yup. The theme park isn’t up and running yet. Need to pay the rent somehow.”

Nick blinked at the wolf before him and only gave a slow nod. He took the bag of wrapped fish from him.

“See ya tonight, Chief!”

“…Right. Wait, tonight?”

“Yeah, Ju-ah, Mrs Wilde told me it was fine.”

Nick narrowed his eyes at that. His entire family was acting odd.

* * *

 

Thea tugged her satchel close to her chest as she walked down the grisly streets of the Nocturnal District. It was supposed to be a bright and sunny day today and that, of course, didn’t apply to this district unsurprisingly. As much as her father taught her to love the city, she couldn’t bring herself to love certain parts of it. Especially certain people.

See, being a hybrid kit was difficult. On one hand, one became an ‘exotic’ centrepiece and could very easily lend to popularity in school. Thea enjoyed that for a moment, but then quickly realized that mammals weren’t hanging around her because they genuinely liked her. But they thought of her as this unique accessory that they could brag about to their friends.

The only mammals in her life that didn’t treat her like some sort of exquisite exhibit had to be her older brother, Robin and their parents. But their entire family was an ‘exhibit’ – mammals couldn’t take their eyes off of them whenever they went out as a family.

She turned into an alley and squeaked as a bug fluttered past her shoulder. She sighed and tugged her ears – ones that looked like any typical bunny ears, but were slightly tipped at the edges and black tipped.

While most of her looks and characteristics came from her mother, Thea knew there were certain parts of her that definitely came from her father. Her eyes, for one – bright, forest greens that were too severe a colour for cute little bunnies. Rich, maroon fur that alluded more to her grandmother than her father and her height – she was slightly taller than most bunnies.

Needless to say, besides her _thousands_ of cousins, aunts and uncles, Thea found it difficult to connect with bunnies.

Finally, a familiar old van loomed ahead of her and she went over to knock at the door. She tactfully, stood several steps back, knowing how the mammal within would react to unsolicited visitors.

“WHO IS- Oh. Hey Blue.”

“Hey Uncle Finn.”

She gave her sweetest smile and went over to kiss her favourite uncle (besides Uncle Clawhauser, of course) on the cheek. Blue was short for blueberry – how she looked like on her very first ultrasound picture. The name just stuck somehow.

“Hey, no kisses for your big bro?”

Eyes glinted in the dim light of the van and she heard a small chuckle.

“Robin?! What the hell are _you_ doing here?”

“I could ask you the same baby sis.”

Thea found it hard to believe sometimes that Robin wasn’t a biological son of her father’s. Save for his soft, amber eyes and the deep carmine of his fur; his gait, smirk and his wit all seemed like a carbon copy of her daddy. It didn't help that he was in a formal shirt and a tie that was loosened. At least, before he became Chief and decided to conduct background checks on every single buck who could be potential date to just a lab partner.

“You better not be eating those brownies…”

Finnick just chuckled and held up his paws.

“Nah, your mama would kill me. I ain’t giving you kits nuthin’ but terrible advice and a sip of watered down hooch.”

"I could use some booze."

Robin’s eyes widened gleefully at that.

“So, looks like Miss _Perfect_ does have a dirty smear. Never took you for a drinker, sissy.”

“Ugh, I’m not here to drink! _Mostly_.”

She crossed her arms in frustration and plopped herself next to her brother. Their favourite uncle put out his cigarette and jumped out of the van.

“I’ll go get some grub. You kits watch the van. Dont'cha even think about taking another bottle.”

Robin waved him off.

"I just wanted a little buzz, not to get piss drunk."

"Don't you kiss your mother with that mouth, boy. You too, Blue. I know your Daddy thinks you're an innocent Princess, but I know you ain't."

Thea rolled her eyes but smiled after him. Finnick chuckled out into the alleyway as he walked off.

“So…Pa finally knows?”

“…Yeah.”

He sniggered and yelped as a paw punched him lightly in the stomach.

“Hey! It’s funny, okay? Seeing the old man all riled up like that...hey, are you crying?’

Thea sniffled and hastily wiped her eyes.

“N-no…”

Robin’s eyes softened and he shifted himself closer, giving her nudge with his elbow.

“Hey, come on. Did you guys argue again? You know Dad loves you and is just worried- “

“It’s not about that.”

Robin’s expression shifted immediately. His soft eyes hardened to a menacing glare Thea didn’t think her amiable, carefree brother was capable of pulling. Thea almost forgot why she was even crying.

“Did the punk hurt you?”

 “Good Noah, you sound just like him.”

“Good Noah, you sound just like mom.”

They both looked at each other and simultaneously barfed before bursting into laughter. Robin shook his head and turned to her, his brow furrowing in an attempt to bring back seriousness. No one got to make his baby sister cry and get away with it.

“But seriously though?”

“Why are you and Dad so suspicious of him? I mean, you told off the kits at school who bullied me for being a ‘freak’.”

Robin had to pause at that, but shook his head. He set his bottle down and sighed.

“No, Thea. It’s got nothing to do with him being a hybrid.”

“Then? Is it because of his dad? Nobody is their dad, Robin. You of all people should know that.”

Robin went quiet at that and Thea felt immediate guilt.

“Oh gosh, no. That was so stupid of me. Robbie, I love you. You’re nothing like…You are the best brother I could ever ask for- “

Robin burst into laughter then, clutching his stomach and leaning back against the metal walls of the vehicle. The young bunny-fox narrowed her eyes, her little dark nose twitching in annoyance.

“Not. Funny.”

“Aw, lighten up sis.”

“Ugh, I hate you. So, why are _you_ here?”

“Deflecting with a question of your own, you’ll make a mighty fine lawyer.”

“No need to tell me something I already know. Does Dad know about your little secret yet?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. After how he nearly bust an artery on you last night, I think it’s best to wait it out for a little longer. I hadn’t even told mom yet. I didn’t think it was fair, seeing how you guys kept Jimmy a secret from him hurt him. Besides, he’s been so busy at the station lately we hadn’t had much time together.”

His voice sounded so carefully offhanded, Thea sensed it – he was hurt. She gave an awkward punch to his shoulder.

“…Well, Chief of Police is a pretty big jump from Head Detective.”

“Yeah, yeah. And extra responsibilities mean extra hours. Protecting the city, means protecting his family. He loves us all the same. I know, I know. Dad told us the exact same thing when mom was Chief, remember?”

Robin held out his bottle, and Thea rolled her eyes but took his from his paw and took a good long swing. Robin’s eyes widened and he whistled while clapping. Thea cringed and coughed as the liquid burned down her throat. It may have been diluted with soda, but it was still pretty strong for someone who inherited her mother's lightweighted-ness.

“Well, damn. I learn something new every day."

“I still can’t believe you managed to convince them into letting you drop out of college. Dad nearly had a heart attack when I told him I was considering community college as a joke.”

“I didn’t. Mom did.”

Thea sighed and collapsed against his shoulder. They both took sips of the bottle, eventually deciding that it really tasted like a crap and snacking on some crackers instead.

"I just...I just wanted to talk to somebody."

"...Me too, sis."

“We’re going to be the death of Dad, aren’t we?”

“Yee-up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finnick is definitely that cool aunt/uncle that slips you some booze. Nobody can tell me otherwise.
> 
> I’m sorry if Thea and Robin’s interaction come off unrealistic or campy. I don’t have siblings myself so I just went with what my fantasies/ cumulative media representations of them are like. Heh. Okay, that got depressing quick.
> 
> I know this was originally supposed to be a two-chapter story, but after typing everything out, it got much longer than I expected. I'll post the rest some time later after I get feedback for this chapter so I can incorporate it to the next. So sorry if it annoys some of you.
> 
> Now I know that some of you are going to give me hell about Jack Savage and Judy's old 'date'. The only thing I'll tell you that it's for a future story. No one cheated on anybody. Nobody is getting hurt. Physically, at least. But anyone who has been reading my stories would know that I love me some good drama. ;)
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this installment! Do tell me your thoughts please! ♥


	3. Chapter 3

Nick watched over the boiling pot of soup as his bunny cheerily set the silverware around the dining table. He sighed and opened the pot, taking a whiff and throwing in some spices, a few herbs before giving it a stir.

“Look at you being all Gordon Ramsie-like.”

Nick lifted a brow in her direction and took a sip – frowning, he picked up a few more herbs, crushed them between his paws and threw it into the pot.

“If you mean that I’ll butt heads with someone at some point in the meal, you are absolutely correct.”

Judy rolled her eyes but walked over to hug him from behind.

“It smells amazing!”

Nick picked up another spoon for his wife to taste and smiled as her eyes brightened with the sip.

“Wow.”

Boy, did he love cooking. Especially with her. Even if most of the time she just stood around, waiting to give her opinion on salt levels and taste tests. He’d seen Judy burn water and he wasn’t going to let her around the kitchen alone lest she hurt herself.

With their current work schedules, cooking together had become something of a rarity. On days where he was back late, his kids (who thankfully, could cook) and their mother’s enthusiasm put dinner on the table. On days where Judy was busy, he was manning the stove. For days where both of them were going to be late, they had take-out. One thing’s for certain, they always sat together and ate as a family.

Just that this time, there were going to be unwanted intruders.

“You’re sulking _again_ , honey.”

* * *

 

Robin sauntered into his home, smiling as his mother greeted him at the door. He gave her a nuzzle to the cheek and looked over to the dining table.

“Wow mom, are we bringing in the in-laws already?”

“Oh stop it you.”

She giggled as Nick seethed behind the kitchen counter. Robin snorted at his father’s expression and went over to his side, looking over his shoulder.

“So pops, how’s your blood pressure?”

“I’d ask where that smart mouth came from but I’d be biting myself in the tail.”

Robin chuckled and Nick turned and squinted up at his son.

“…You’re up to something.”

Robin feigned shock and rested his paw over his chest.

“ _Father_. Well I never.”

“I’ll deal with you and your hooch-stinkin’ snout after I’m done crucifying Savage’s brat.”

Judy sighed and waved her son over.

“Robbie, come over before your father blows another artery.”

Nick grumbled over his blueberry soufflés. His son sniggered and sidled next to his mother on the couch. Only a few years ago, he could have comfortably curled to a ball on her lap. Now he was a huge, lanky figure – comically leaning on his mother like a kit with separation anxiety.

 Judy had changed to a lovely, lavender gown that Nick’s mother had made as she did for most of Judy’s formal wear. She now had a small business catering to public servants who wanted beautiful gowns on a budget.

“You look pretty, Mama.”

“Aw, thanks honey.”

“He’s kissing tails Carrots, where do you think he got it from?”

Judy shushed her husband and excitedly grabbed her son’s paw.

“So…who’s this lovely vixen we’ll be meeting?”

Robin blinked a few times and adjusted the collar of his formal shirt. As sly as he liked to appear, he never tricked nor lied to his mother.

“Uh…you’ll meet them soon enough!”

Judy giggled and Robin had to smile to see his mother so excited.

“Mom! Jimmy’s here!”

Thea burst into the house, looking panicky. She tugged at her ears and hid behind the curtains.

“I saw his car pulling up and ran over. I’m not even dressed yet!”

Judy went over to her frazzled daughter, tugging her back to her bedroom to help her get ready. Robin scratched his neck awkwardly and looked over to his dad who seemed to be content watching the soufflés in the oven like it was an episode of Paw and Order.

“Dad?”

“…What.”

“Uh, should I get the door or…”

He watched as Nick slowly straightened his back, taking in a deep breath and cracking his neck. Robin hid a smirk as his dad tugged off the frilly apron and pulled on the dark emerald blazer Judy had laid out for him. Right at that very moment, the doorbell rang.

“No… I will.”

* * *

 

Nick had a sudden, deep realization as to why Judy’s late father had looked so gobsmacked he was first introduced to him. Well, besides the obvious reasons – he really understood now why her father was so against them being together, even as ‘friends’.

For one, he’d seen that they were something more than friends, way before they knew themselves. And two; the towering figure before him, if he valued his life, will _never_ be permitted to touch his innocent, sweet daughter.

Nick felt himself pale. But he took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.

“…Evening, Mr Hopps-Wilde?”

He had a smooth ‘Troplis-ian accent. Nick recalled that Savage had sent his kit to fancy boarding schools across the pond. The last time he had seen him, he was a little white bundle in his mother’s paws. Now, he was as tall as he was. His fur was white as snow – but sharply contrasted with the black markings he clearly inherited from his father.

Nick squinted, and realized simply staring down at an almost-adult mammal on his front porch wasn’t very hospitable of him. The mammal shifted the bottle of wine he had in his paws from one paw to the other. He had a hint when his son started jabbing him on the arm discreetly.

“Good evening. James, was that right?”

He smiled and Nick realized that if it weren’t for the black markings on his cheeks and tail, he wouldn’t have pinned him to be the son of the cute (full offense intended), little Savage hare. Mercifully, he took after his mother.

“Yes! I’m fine with Jimmy. So glad to finally meet you. Thea speaks fondly of you. Father sends his apologies as he had to be on call.”

“Right, _James_. Hope you did not have a **hard time** finding the place-”

“Hey Jimmy! Nice of you to come.”

Robin took over before his father made things anymore awkward and tense – if it was even possible. He nudged his dad aside gently and smiled widely, ushering him into the house. Nick only stared after the two, narrowing his eyes and slowly closing the front door behind him. There was a distinctive click as he slid the extra lock in place, just in case.

* * *

 

Judy smiled as her daughter inspected herself in the mirror. She had a spring green dress also lovingly hand-made by Grandma Wilde.

“You look beautiful as you always do, honey. Why don’t we go outside now?”

Thea sighed and turned to her mother who was seated on the edge of her bed. There were half-closed boxes everywhere and the room was increasingly turning bare as Thea packed for college.  

“Does dad…does he really hate him?”

Judy chuckled but nodded, feeling a little guilt as her daughter’s ears flopped.

“Thea…I don’t think there’s a father in Zootopia who gets excited to meet their daughter’s boyfriend.”

She patted the spot next to her, continuing as she allowed the young hybrid lean against her shoulder.

“But that’s because he loves you and no mammal in the world will ever be worthy of his precious little kit.”

“He isn’t like that with Robin!”

“Oh, he is honey. You should see the number of times he’d woke me up in the middle of the night, worrying if Robin will ever get his heart broken like he did.”

“…Dad got his heart broken? By you?”

“Well…I definitely did break his heart.” Judy thought ruefully back to the day – so much had changed since then.

“But not exactly in _that_ way. You know foxes. Once they meet The One, that’s it. If their partner leaves them…well, they’ll live very lonely lives. Of course, Robin will never have to worry about that, he has us.”

Judy stroked her daughter’s ears tenderly as Thea’s brows knitted in concern for her brother. She had a smidgen more understanding for her dad’s antsy behavior.

The door to Thea’s room shook with not-so-light, rapid knocks.

“Ladies? Our _guest_ is here.”

Judy sighed at Nick’s tight tone of voice and gently nudged her daughter.

“Go on. I need to talk with your dad.”

* * *

 

Nick sat glumly at the edge of his daughter’s bed as Judy calmly returned to the room with a few ties in paw. She set one after the other against his chest, and held it up to him for inspection.

“I don’t need a tie.”

“Well, your son and your daughter’s boyfriend made the effort to dress up. So should you.”

Nick sulked even more – he was way past the acceptable age to do so, but he didn’t really care at this point.

“Hm, this black shirt clashes too much with your suit. I’ll go get the cream one.”

Nick grabbed his wife’s paw and gave her the _look_. Judy sighed and stood in front of him, nuzzling his cheek.

“Our kits are growing up. We have to accept that Nick. One day we won’t be around for them, but at least they will have someone else and each other to lean on.”

“I know that…Just, c’mere.”

Judy stepped into his arms and wrapped her paws tight around his chest. She heard the comforting pulse of her husband’s pulse and relaxed into his hold.

“Remember the last time we hugged like this in this room?”

“Thea was still a little blueberry.”

Judy smiled into his shirt as she spoke. Her heart flitted about a little. In a few months, they were going to be empty nesters. It still felt like only a month ago, she waddled into the room and was surprised by Finnick’s beautiful mural for Thea’s nursery. They were both still low-ranking police officers back then, and for a time, new parents to two very young kits.

Judy unbuttoned the first few buttons of Nick’s shirt, brushing out to touch the dark markings on the fur to the left of his chest – tattoos of their kits’ paws from when they were very little. It still made Judy’s heart melt to rest her paws over the tiny paw prints over her husband’s chest.

Nick rested a paw over Judy’s and nuzzled her cheek.

“Let’s get back out there.”

* * *

 

Thea looked from her father to her boyfriend, and to her father again. They seemed to be having a stare-off of some sort and Thea could sense that Jimmy was beginning to feel a little nervous. It was a little comical, considering that her father was considerably built whereas Jimmy was rather lanky.

“So…James. What was it that you said you were studying?”

“Politics, Sir. I intend to research International Relations at Aardvark.”

“That sounds fascinating!”

Judy chimed in cheerfully, discreetly kicking Nick underneath the table.

Jimmy carefully averted his gaze away from his girlfriend’s terrifying Chief-of-Police father and to her less-terrifying but equally intimidating ZEMA Head mother. As if his father’s profession wasn’t overwhelming enough. Jack never disclosed the nature of his work to his son, but Jimmy knew exactly the sort of work that was expected from his father.

“Do you intend to follow in your father’s footsteps?”

Nick carefully cut his portion of the fish, taking a pointed bite and narrowing his eyes in his direction. The question sounded innocent enough, but Jimmy knew that Mr Hopps-Wilde was insinuating something else entirely. But he had prepared an answer.

“My father has posed the same question to me, actually. I might end up in that field in government service sometime in the future, but I would like to focus on academia for now.”

And he pointedly ignored that insinuation.

Judy saw her husband’s paws clench his utensils tighter and quickly intervened.

“That’s impressive! And it would be so nice to know that Thea would have someone to look out for her at Aardvark with her.”

“Mo-om! I’m not a kit!”

Jimmy smiled gratefully.

“Look out for her? Mrs Hopps-Wilde, I assure you, it is Thea who looks out for me.”

“Aw, that’s sweet. Isn’t it, _Nick_?”

“Robin, pass the salt please.”

Nick looked like he was stabbing the fish as though it was still alive.

Another awkward silence fell over the dining table. Save for Robin shoving food down his snout and ignoring his sister’s subtle kicks to his shin. When he finally decided to acknowledge her, his softened at her pleading look. Swallowing the mouthful of asparagus, he sat himself upright.

“Uhh…so Jimmy? I hear that you like to debate?”

“Absolutely. It was how I even met Thea. Incredible argumentative skills, had me hooked right there. Well, meet again I suppose. I was not aware we had met as very young kits!”

Nick bristled in his seat. He was waiting a chance to spring up on his victim – his predatory instincts were an excuse for once. But Judy was right (as she was in most things). He was an upstanding mammal and a model boyfriend. It was clear that he respected Thea and heck, put her on a pedestal as she should be. Thea was absolutely smitten and he knew that whatever disapproval he voiced won’t tear apart the two.

They were too much like Judy and himself nearly two decades ago. Just more educated, civil and didn’t have the systematic disapproval of Zootopia. They were simply two mammals who adored one another – possibly in love.

On one hand, he was happy one of his kits had found a love as dear as he had. On another hand, it meant that Thea no longer needed him. She never exactly depended on him – much like her mother, Thea had always been rather independent and self-motivated. But now another mammal would take the place of him as her unwavering support system. That thought hurt.

“Robin? Wasn’t your b- Uh, partner supposed to coming tonight?”

“Yeah, but something came up. So they won’t be joining us for dinner. But they’re dropping by a little later to say hello.”

Robin didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the untold drama that seemed to unfold around him. Thea’s slipup pointed to something. He knew his son was hiding something – he was a young reynard not too long ago himself after all.

* * *

 

“Mr Hopps-Wilde?”

Nick looked up from the microwave where he’d stuffed a popcorn bag. James stood next to him some distance away, looking a little nervous.

“I understand most fathers aren’t too eager to meet their daughter’s partner, but may I take the chance to assure you- “

“Shove it.”

“…Excuse me?”

Nick turned to give him a look, emerald eyes (so gentle on his little girlfriend but so menacing on her father) glinting in the dimmed light of the house preparing for a movie. Thea and Robin seemed to be arguing over Mad Yax: Furry Road and Trek Wars: Claw Wars.

“I don’t like words. I like actions. The _second_ I hear that you've hurt my baby girl, make no mistake, I. Will. _End_. You.”

With that, the microwave beeped and Nick took out the bag and walked off without looking back – all the while disguising the pain of the piping hot bag on his paws.

* * *

 

Sometime after Jimmy had left (and many tenser and strained goodbyes later with Nick having to be dragged away from the porch so Thea could kiss Jimmy goodbye), Rick sauntered into their home like he was an occupant of the home. Nick was so used to him; he didn’t realize that there was something unusual to it. He had a strange aura about him and the greeting he gave him seemed to hold a different intonation.  
  
“Chief. Chief.”

He greeted Judy and himself, accordingly as he always did but then looked over them – to his son.

Nick recognised that look – that sly, shit-eating grin that graced his own features semi-permanently before he had his kits and met Judy. A troublemaker. The real threat he should have been wary of from the start, had been right under his snout.

Thea had conveniently disappeared to her room at this point, mumbling something of more packing she had to do although she was already three months ahead of schedule being as well-organized as her mother is.

“Uh, we’ve got work to do. Bye dad!”

Robin seemed to sense his father’s growing unease and tugged Rick – by the paw, back to his room. Nick looked over at Judy, quietly wondering if what he was thinking was what was she was thinking. And when her surprised violet eyes met his, he knew.

 Judy came up beside him, holding his paw.

"What was that?"

"Robin…with a boy."

"A _boy_?"

"A boy."

"Wow. A boy?"

"A boy."

"A… boy?"

"Judy, a boy." 

"... wow."

“…Mrs. Wilde, I’ll have you pawcuffed- _No_. Not to the bed. Don’t give me that _look_. I’m completely serious.”

“This time Mr Hopps, I _swear_ \- I had no clue.”

They both looked quietly down the now empty hallway.

“I’m gonna _kill_ him.”

“Nick, not this again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all folks! Hope you've enjoyed this campy hilarity and it put a smile on your face! Do leave your thoughts! ♥
> 
> [Tumblr!](https://astraearose.tumblr.com/)


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